Books A Private View Role Theatrical producer | Name Irene Selznick Years active 1949–1961 | |
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Full Name Irene Gladys Mayer Cause of death Complications from breast cancer Education Hollywood School for Girls Spouse David O. Selznick (m. 1930–1949) Parents Margaret Shenberg, Louis B. Mayer Children Daniel Selznick, Geoffrey Selznick Similar People David O Selznick, Louis B Mayer, Daniel Selznick, Lewis J Selznick, Jennifer Jones | ||
Irene Gladys Selznick (née Mayer; April 2, 1907 – October 10, 1990) was an American socialite and theatrical producer.
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Early life
She was born in Brooklyn, to film producer Louis B. Mayer and his first wife, Margaret Shenberg. She had an older sister, Edith (born in 1905).
Edith married William Goetz in March 1930, who became the vice president of 20th Century Fox in 1941 and later became the head of production at Universal-International. Selznick's paternal and maternal grandparents were Belarusian Jews who immigrated to Canada in the 1880s from Vilnius and Kaunas (then territories belonging to the Russian Empire).
The Mayer family initially lived in Haverhill, Massachusetts before moving to Hollywood in 1918. It was there that her father established Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, one of the most successful film studios of its time. She attended Hollywood School for Girls, a private school in Los Angeles.
Marriage and career
Mayer married producer David O. Selznick in 1930. Her husband came from an extremely dysfunctional but talented family and he was one of the few men who stimulated her intellect. During the marriage, Selznick acted as a hostess to the couple's Hollywood parties. The couple frequently socialized with Hollywood stars including Ingrid Bergman, Janet Gaynor, and Katharine Hepburn. Selznick was also an executive at her husband's production company. Selznick also did volunteer and charity work and worked as a probation officer for juveniles for Los Angeles County during World War II.
After separating from her husband in 1945, Selznick moved to New York City where she pursued her love of the theatre. In 1947, she worked with playwright Tennessee Williams and director Elia Kazan and produced her first play, A Streetcar Named Desire, which gave Marlon Brando his break-out role. The play's success brought her a great deal of respect, and she went on to produce four more plays, among them 1955's The Chalk Garden for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She retired in 1961.
Considered by her peers within the entertainment industry as one of the foremost historians of Hollywood and Broadway, Selznick published her autobiography A Private View in 1983.
Personal life
Mayer married David O. Selznick on April 29, 1930. They had two sons, Lewis Jeffrey (born 1932) and Daniel Selznick (born 1936), both of whom would also become film producers. Daniel married Susan Warms Dryfoos, daughter of Orvil E. Dryfoos.
However, David O. Selznick's constant philandering and frequent financial problems as a result of a gambling addiction led to their growing apart, which resulted in her leaving Selznick in 1945. Their divorce was finalized on January 22, 1949.
Death
Irene Mayer Selznick died on October 10, 1990 from complications from breast cancer at her apartment at The Pierre in Manhattan. Her remains were returned to California where she was interred next to her mother in the Mausoleum, Hall of Graciousness, Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City.